Cytus Chapter K
by Espirit Infinity
Summary: Her grip on the vibrant blue sword tightened. Wavy blue hair curled perfectly on her back, fitting around the curves of her figure. Her face contorted, back arching painfully. Sweat trickled down her face, and her body tensed with effort. "Rosabelle...why?" Traitorous tears glided out of the corner of her eyes. The tears mixed with sweat, and unable to hold it, she collapsed.
1. 1: The Way We Were

_Hey guys! Espirit here. This is my first story, so please, don't be too harsh on me... I'm very young, so please help me improve. I couldn't find Cytus in the category, so I put it in the Deemo category. Hey, there are a whole two collections dedicated to Chapter K from Cytus, isn't there?_

 _The Way We Were_

Deja vu.

I fade into a memory.

The way we were.

The way we used to be.

 _Rays of sun flash down, striking the red-haired girl's hair into a breaking crimson, and glinting off the blue-haired girl's hair, turning it into a warm, soft blue._

 _She red-haired, cute and bubbly, she blue-haired, fair and shy._

 _It's a wonderful day outside. The gradient blue sky shaded by translucent fluffy clouds. The leaves of the tall, green tree posed as the perfect shade, casting a shadow on the two girls. The leaves from the tree rustled, flashing a beautiful crystal green._

 _Furry critters scuttled around, and the red-haired girl even noticed a cute common mandora._

 _The red-haired girl was obviously royalty. Her hair, perfectly curled, glided around her small, chubby figure wavily. She had bangs that stopped right atop of her thin, brown eyebrows. Below those perfectly carved eyebrows was a pair of piercing eyes, on the top was a ice, crystal blue radiantly fading into a bright, lemony yellow around the bottom. Her pupils were slightly translucent, with black linings. Around her neck was a delicate, thick choker, with a elegantly carved ruby placed right upon the middle of the choker. The red-haired girl was wearing a bright pink dress, with puffed up sleeves and fluffy white wrist collars. Around her waist was a red sash. She had a fair complexion._

 _The blue-haired girl was a nun. Her hair, perfectly straight but curling a slightly at the end, landing right above her straight shoulders. Her hair parted in the middle, forming center bangs that almost covered her short, thin blue eyebrows. Under her eyebrows was a pair of jade green eyes. Beginning from the top, the color was a deep forest green, turning into a sharp green color, and fades to a pale jade green. Her pupils was just like the red-haired girl's. She wore a traditional nun's outfit. Around her neck was a long necklace, with a delicate sliver cross hanging off the string. It glinted with lively light, the silver shining brightly._

 _You could obviously see their personalities from the composition of their features. The red-haired girl was cheeky, outgoing, and bright. She was optimistic and extroverted. The blue-haired girl was calm, shy, and thoughtful. She was pessimistic and introverted. The two were polar opposites, but they were the best of friends._

 _The red-haired girl kneeled up on her knees, soft hands touching something._

 _The blue-haired girl sat on her heels in front of the other girl, both facing the same direction._

 _"Tuck this strand in… there!" the red-haired girl muttered under her breath, focusing on the blue-haired girl's head._

 _The red-haired girl was creating a flower crown for the other girl. The flower crown was made out of magnolia flowers, somehow fitting perfectly around the blue-haired girl's head. The petals rustled in the cool spring breeze, as the red-haired girl tried to put the crown deeper onto her head. The blue-haired girl put her hand up to the crown and slightly adjusted it._

 _The floor was scattered with magnolia flowers._

 _"You two are like Rosabelle and Iris!"_

 _That's what the people in this kingdom would call two good friends. Exceptionally good. More than good. Too good of friends. Almost like they have a spiritual bond, or connection. Rosabelle would be used to describe the person the the friendship that was the outgoing one and Iris would be used to describe the introverted one._

 _"Rosabelle, is it pretty?"_

 _"Of course! I made it, didn't I?"_

 _"But…aren't magnolia flowers poisonous?"_

 _"Iris, of course not! Why would I ever want to hurt you?"_

 _"Do you promise to never hurt me?"_

 _"I promise! I swear on the future heritage of my parents kingdom!"_

 _Iris smiles._

 _"Then I will promise something as well! I will always be by your side. I will always be with you, and I will stay with you forever. I will never hurt you."_

The way we used to be.

Rosabelle…empty words.

 _Hopefully you guys enjoyed this first story! I hope to make this into a series until I cover the entire Cytus Chapter K songs. Comments and reviews will definitely be appreciated. Tell me if there are any spelling or grammar errors. Thank you for making it to the end of this story! Sorry for making a little bit too short. I'll work on making the quality better. Thanks! (｡•_ _̀ᴗ-)✧_


	2. 2: The Sanctuary

_Hey guys! Espirit Infinity here again. This is the second story to this series. If you came here from the last story, thanks for following this developing story. If you only saw this one, please considering reading the first one and leaving a review!_ （ ･`ー･´） +

 _The Sanctuary_

How amazingly that sword shined.

Alluring, so alluring it was almost seductive.

Iris whipped her head around, wondering how she almost missed that sword.

She was just trying to find something to pass the time in the church. Though a lot of spaces were restricted, Iris ignored that warning and found a room that might be restricted. Trying to find secret rooms could get you into terrible trouble around the church. She was also secretly sneaking out of her small room, ignoring the warnings of her sisters.

Looking around every corner, and aware of her pigeon-toed footsteps, Iris turned around a corner, pressing her body against the wall. Breathing heavily, she spotted a room. It was very unnoticeable, almost fading in with the walls. The door was worn down, raggedy. Iris approached the door carefully, and slowly pushed the door open.

It created a very loud creaking noise, making Iris jump.

Opening her eyes again, she was stunned.

Looking at the door, she'd expected that the room would be like that door, but it was the total opposite. The room was beautiful - no, that was an understatement. It was amazing,;stained glass windows that covered every wall illuminated the room to bright rainbow color. Looking away from the windows, something else caught her eyes.

Carelessly placed on the cold, marble tiles, the illuminated lights landed on the bright blade of the sword. The sword gave off a cold gleam, and Iris could see that its was razor sharp, even without feeling the blade. The stained glass windows behind the sword created a colored aspect to the glow of the sword. Red, yellow, blue, green, white, black, the sword changed color as the position of the sun changed with the time and the clouds. The hilt was a deep gold, glimmering and shining, and the top of the hilt was a shining bright gold, almost yellow. A glimmering white diamond, perfectly carved was placed right in the middle. The blade was thin and sharp, almost like a fencing sword, but completely hard and straight. The mythical sword was surrounded by violet, magenta, and clear blue flowers, with a variety of colors for leaves. The whole place was lit in blue and purple, fitting in with Iris and her blue hair.

As her head whipped around, blue strands flashed as the wind slashed through her hair. Still extremely straight, it was cropped from a recent haircut to the middle of her neck. Still wearing the traditional nun uniform, she quickly approached the mythical sword.

Who was the owner of this sword?

It doesn't matter.

As she slowly reached for the hilt of the sword with her delicate, soft fingers, she hesitated. What would happen? She fell to her knees, eyes wide and vulnerable. Her face was stricken with shock. Her eyes showed a trace of being scared, with an undertone of desperation. Iris's lower lip trembled with eagerness.

She lunged forward, grabbing the hilt.

Iris gasped, as chills ran up and down her arms and through her chest. She choked, as images began to flash against eyelids. They flashed so quickly, for only fraction of seconds, but she was able to catch some images.

 _Blood._

 _War maps._

 _Chess pieces._

 _A duel._

 _Rosabelle._

She shook out of her reverie, vibrant emerald eyes stunned with shock and pain. Iris regained her consciousness and caught her breath back. Lungs straining with effort, she placed the sharp tip of mythical sword against the cold tiles and rested her head on the end of the hilt. One hand gripping the handle, with the other hand rested beside the place her forehead was on. Iris sat down, curling her knees in front of her chest, hugging her body close. Cold sweat trickled down and landed on the floor beside her. Choking back down tears, she closed her eyes, and started praying.

The sword was speaking to her.

It was giving her a blessing.

Her eyes flew open, but slowly and calmly, she tightened them again.

 _Thank you._

Iris immediately recognized this sword as a spiritual one. This means that she could use this sword to give out blessings.

 _Hear me, O protectors of Firmament, and this blessed blade. Please, bless Princess Rosabelle, future Queen of Firmament. Let her and her family be safe forever. Offer all protection to her, unless she or her parents commits a great sin. Alas, then, you can punish her to what the necessary scale of punishment shall be._

Iris opens her eyes halfway, long blue eyelashes tickling her bottom eyelid.

A few days ago, Rosabelle stopped coming to the forest to play. She didn't tell Iris anything. Iris stopped coming to the clearing to wait for Rosabelle. One of the nuns in the church told her that Rosabelle's parents had issues to deal with. Though Iris was pretty sad they would have to stop playing for now, but she was sure Rosabelle was going to be fine. Though she had a feisty personality, she was nice and kind and had no enemies. Her parents were great people and didn't owe anyone anything. They were great rulers for Firmament, and all the citizens loved them.

Tucking her hair behind her ear, Iris stood up and placed the sword carefully on the floor straight and not lopsided.

Iris started to leave that stained-glass room.

 _Thanks for finishing this story! Please think about following the development of this story and encourage me. You can criticize me to help me improve on my writing skills. Help me become a better writer! Thanks._


	3. 3: The Red Coronation

_Hey guys! If you've read the rest of this story, thanks for sticking around! Sorry for this late update, things have been going pretty badly for me. Hope you'll enjoy this third chapter!_

 _The Red Coronation_

Rosabelle squinched her eyes shut, lips trembling with terror. Cold sweat dripped down the sides of her face as she tightened her fists around her blankets. She felt tears starting to well up.

A few moments ago, a servant from her parents' palace had shoved her into her own room, and closed the door. Before she left, she stared at Rosabelle right in the eyes, mouth gaping and eyes widened with shock and fear.

Rosabelle would never forget the servant's eyes, those blank, hopeless eyes, full of certain, destined death.

"Do _not_ come out. Do _not_ come out no matter what happens."

She then slammed the door. Rosabelle could hear her soft footsteps, slowly fading away. Rosabelle was frozen with fear, paralyzed from foot to toe. Cold sweat began to trickle down her body. Her breathing became ragged.

That's when the terrible sounds sounded.

Screams, shouts, yelps, clashing metal.

Bangs, crashes, cries, and the terrible, terrible sounds of death.

Rosabelle buried her head in her red pillow. Unable to hold in her tears, they flowed out. Rosabelle's eyes were wide open, and her mouth was gaping. Finally, Rosabelle stood up. The sounds stopped coming from the living room.

It took all of her courage to open her door, and walk down the stairs.

Suddenly, she stopped, hiding behind the huge pillar at the end of the stairs.

Knights, with metal and bronze armour, and huge red plumes on top of their helmets. White, gleaming eyes shone through the bars that laid across their helmets. Candlelight from the huge crystal chandeliers bounced off their armor. Instead of the warmth from the candles, all that Rosabelle could see was the harsh, cold aura of the soldiers.

Dragging her eyes away from these cold people, but immediately regretted it. There she saw her parents, kneeling in front of the tons of soldiers.

The whole palace was crammed with soldiers that tried to not step on the corpses. Blood smeared the once pristine walls and floors. Dead bodies were stacked on top of each other, rosy colored faces gradually turning gray.

Her parents' faces were ashen, stricken with grief and terror. They stared at the ground, given up on all hope. Her mother's red hair framed her face. Her father's brown hair clung to his face with sweat. Tears streamed down their faces.

Rosabelle watched as two of the soldiers pulled her parents onto their feet. Before she could react, the soldiers systematically pulled their arm back, synchronized.

Time slowed, and as Rosabelle hesitantly reached out her hand and opened her mouth, the soldiers thrust their arms forward. The spears pierced through her parents' chests, and came out through the other end, splattered with blood. The spears came from every direction. More than ten spears penetrated each of them, due to the large amount of soldiers surrounding the king and queen of Firmament.

The lights flickered out of their eyes and the life bled out of their chests. Rosabelle watched in horror as they slumped to the ground, their lifeless frames tumbled on top of each other. There was no reaction whatsoever from the soldiers, and they quickly whipped out torches from a large pouch they each were carrying. Suddenly, the maid that locked Rosabelle in her room before came rushing over to her.

She threw a velvet hood over Rosabelle's head that almost completely covered her face. The maid mouthed a word to Rosabelle.

 _Go._

That word radiated through Rosabelle's ears, and bounced around in her skull. Instinct took control, and as she swivelled around to run from the palace…

Flames roared behind her. Pillars crumbled, and the smell of festering flesh reached Rosabelle's nostrils. She gagged, but tried to keep on running. The maid was out of sight, but honestly? Rosabelle didn't care. She ran, sobbing, from the grand door.

She didn't stop until she reached the farthest she could get before she ran out of stamina. She turned, looking at the horrible sight.

There was almost nothing left, the flames swallowing the whole palace.

Before she could do anything, Rosabelle collapsed, huge tears welling out of her eyes. She bit her hand and screamed into her teeth, squinting her eyes together to try to stop the tears, but failing horribly. Rosabelle then put bother her hands on her face, and threw back the hood, no longer trying to hold back the tears.

Tears were falling freely now, but she could not risk being heard by guards or civilians.

 _Why did this happen?_

 _Why did this happen to me?_

 _Why?_

 _Why?_

 _Why?_

Her thoughts were jumbled and she could not think, could not function. Keeping her mouth shut tight, she lied down in the grass and tried to calm down.

 _I wish Iris was here._

 _She'd know how to cheer me up for sure._

 _She'd comfort me and won't sigh at me impatiently or fake her pity like the town people._

 _Thanks for finishing this chapter! Leave a review or a comment, tell me what you liked and what you hated about this story. Thanks!_ ~(◡﹏◕✿)


	4. 4: Forbidden Codex

_Hey guys, Espirit's back! Yeah, very soon, I know. I wanted to make up for the time I lost a few days ago. Enjoy! *u*_

 _Forbidden Codex_

Rosabelle stumbled around the forest, eyes empty with grief and mourning. She had no idea where she was going, nor did she care. She wanted something, anything, to distract her from the horrible pain clutching at her heart. The undergrowth deepened, and thorny vines scratched at Rosabelle's delicate skin. Her dress was ripped terribly, so she decided to just abandon it by ripping it from the calves height. The beautiful red fabric was dirtied into a shade of deep maroon, and the lace was completely ruined.

She felt like a zombie.

Through a few more hours of aimless wandering, she finally couldn't stand it.

 _When was my last meal?_

 _Must be breakfast._

 _With mom…and with dad._

 _We had eggs and sausages, and I begged them for pancakes._

Thinking that, the pain became unbearable.

 _It was impossible. It's impossible for mommy and daddy to be dead. I can't accept that. I can't._

 _Why? Why did it have to be_ me? _It's not fair, it's not fair!_

 _I'll do anything. I'll do anything to get them back! Please…please just let them be alive…_

 _I feel so heavy…I can't hold my body up anymore. I feel so sad, but I can't cry anymore. The tears have dried up._

Thinking a last thought, Rosabelle couldn't bear with it anymore. She wanted to die. A world without her loving parents was no world for her… but she thought of Iris.

 _"Rosabelle, hold on! If you think this is the worst pain, bear with it that there will no ever be something more painful in the future! So just…live on! That's what your parents would've wanted. Rosabelle…I believe in you!"_

She was the only thing now. Only person that was holding her together.

Rosabelle closed her eyes and slumped to the floor headfirst. Limbs sprawled out, she slid into comforting darkness.

She jerked awake with a yelp, sweat trickling down the side of her face. Unloosening her tight muscles, she weakly stood up.

What woke her up?

Closing her eyes, she heard it.

The whirling sound, coming from all directions. It was scary, horrifying, even. It was loud and eerie, like static, but like aliens as well. She'd seen an alien once.

She could hear faint words…

 _Waversorul….pletuo…..matudoru….kuemoi….. .madusorukko…!_

Rosabelle then realized how late it was. There was no stars, and no moon, therefore being completely dark in the night. Squinting, the sky suddenly flashed into different colors.

Purple, pink, a faint white, and the most overwhelming of all, black. A dark black, if black could even be dark. The whole sky was consumed by swirling clouds of dark colors.

Rosabelle felt sick. She felt nauseated. She wanted to throw up.

Crouching down, she held her hands to her stomach and closed her eyes, trying to shut out the disgusting color clouds.

When she heard nothing more, she opened her eyes. In front of her was a book. The sky hadn't changed their colors.

 _Is that a codex?_

 _Why does it feel so familiar…_

Vaguely, she remembered seeing a copy of the same book with the same cover in her father's secret library. When she touched it, her father rushed in, and slapped her. _Slapped her._ It left a red mark on her face, and tears started dropping…

The Forbidden Codex, it was called.

It was gleaming with sinister light, and looked very violent. Even if it was so creepy, it glowed with an inviting light.

Rosabelle couldn't hold back. She opened the cover.

It was heavy and black, with an intricate design on it. As she opened it, light poured out of the codex.

That's when the chanting started. She couldn't see anything in the blinding light. The chanting started off soft, but gradually became louder. Until it became deafening. It filled Rosabelle's ears and she tilted her head up, biting her lip. Eyebrows turned down on the ends, tears started flowing down her cheek. She panted helplessly.

 _Waversorul in pletuo sanshues nada rayi masa redo moti tami tueto_

 _Nimesorul in pletuo sanshues nada rayi masa redo mueli tueto kuose_

 _Waversori to kuepetto Nye matudoru masan kwa mremesi_

 _Nimesori to kuemoi moduso aku mau berichi madusorukko…_

Again and again…

 _Waversorul in pletuo sanshues nada rayi masa redo moti tami tueto_

 _Nimesorul in pletuo sanshues nada rayi masa redo mueli tueto kuose_

 _Waversori to kuepetto Nye matudoru masan kwa mremesi_

 _Nimesori to kuemoi moduso aku mau berichi madusorukko...!_

Rosabelle screamed, and her eyes snapped open. When she did, her eyes were a serpent green, sinister and dark. She stopped screaming, and instead, her mouth movements formed into the shapes of the pronunciation of the chant. Her chanting became louder, and her head slumped onto her shoulders and she closed her eyes once more.

 _As always, hopefully you enjoyed it, if you did, leave a comment or a review, if you didn't try doing that as well so I can improve on later works! Also, the random words chanted from the codex is from the actual song on Cytus. Most of them are made up, but I heard some of them were hebrew. Anyways, thanks for reading!_


	5. 5: The Knight of Firmament

_Hey everyone! I'm back. Wonder what happened to Rosabelle from the last chapter... As always, enjoy the story!_

 _Knight of Firmament_

 _How much time has it been?_

 _Ten years. Has it been that long?_

 _It's been ten years since Rosabelle died._

 _I saw her parents' palace burn from a distance._

 _Everyone tells me Rosabelle died._

Iris sat against a windowsill, one knee bent, while the other hung loose. She was in a simple blue dress that clung to her frame. There was a thing chest plate embedded on the dress. Her shoulders and part of her arm was revealed, while an armored glove was placed snugly on her elbow. A white garment was worn on her neck, held together with an intricate golden star.

Iris was in a solitary room.

Having spent one night alone in prayers, it was almost time for her dubbing ceremony.

She'd grown out her hair; it was nearly at her waist now. It was still parted in the middle.

Her skin was much paler, the complexing almost skeletal.

She was about to participate in her dubbing ceremony, where she would finally be a knight, something she'd worked to be ever since she was at the church. In her left hand was her sword that had accompanied her into so many battles. It was a striking ice blue - just like her eyes, her hair…

Iris'd developed a bond with the beautiful sword.

Everyone in Firmament had come to respect this young female warrior. She'd contributed so much to this kingdom, played do many enemies. Everyone loved her. It was requested that she become a knight once she'd been in her first battle, but in Firmament, the age of fifteen was way too young to be knighted. That's why they had to wait until she was seventeen, even though that was still relatively young.

She wasn't happy, though.

Without Rosabelle, her best friend, her life would never be complete. Rosabelle was her only family. When she learned that Rosabelle was dead…oh, those were the most horrible times.

Shuddering under a blanket that was supposed to be warm, crying her eyes out, suddenly having memory flashbacks…

That's why she had to be strong. To…do what Rosabelle was supposed to do. Do everything Rosabelle couldn't do.

Iris leaned her head back, closing her eyes.

Her emotions had hardened, and feelings could not _truly_ be expressed…those smiles she gave out everyday were all fake.

The beautiful stained glass window shone on her, lighting her pale skin into a canvas capable of painting stunning colors.

"Iris."

She slowly opened her eyes. It was time.

She followed one of the nuns into a room only used for dubbing ceremonies. The crowds roared in applause as she entered. Iris gave a polite curtsy, and smiled sweetly. The room was a dome, with the roof made of stained glass windows. The floor was filled with deep, serene waters. A podium was located in the middle of the waters, with a thin bridge that connected it to the ledge.

"Iris."

I walked towards the podium, and kneeled, my back facing the elaborate blue cross in the middle of the ledge. The cross was winged, with ice spiking out. From the roof hung many used, rusted swords from previous knights, finally resting peacefully from their long nights of battles.

In front of Iris stood a woman, or more precisely, her mentor. She was the one who taught her how to fight, how to stay strong physically and mentally.

Wrinkles have started appearing on the edge of her face, signalling her age.

After a long speech, the woman raised a sword.

Iris' emerald eyes widened. Memories washed over her as she thought of ten years ago, where she blessed Rosabelle with that sword.

The woman didn't notice Iris' lapse. Without speaking anymore, she tapped the sword on Iris' shoulder.

"Iris, we presume you a knight."

"Iris."

The crowd chanted her name. Iris closed her eyes and sat on her heels. She held her old sword in her hand and vowed.

 _I'm a knight now._

 _Rosabelle was supposed to be there in the crowd, cheering me on._

 _Her dad was supposed to be there in the podium, tapping the sword on my shoulder._

 _Her mom was supposed to be there in the prayer room, leading me to the podium._

 _But they're not there._

 _And they never will be._

Iris smiled sadly.

 _From now on, I will protect this kingdom from anything that causes it trouble for as long as I will live._

It's what Rosabelle would've wanted. Everyone will expect Iris to defend them now.

 _Thanks for reading! Leaving a comment, a review will be greatly appreciated. -_ ___ _-#_


	6. 6: Lord of Crimson Rose

_Hey, another chapter already! Progress is going pretty well! Enjoy the story!_

 _Lord of Crimson Ros_ e

"Where's my tea?"

The young girl trembled.

"I'm…sorry…your majesty…"

"I told you to bring me my tea."

The young girl bit her lip, shut her eyes and looked down, terrified.

She was kneeling on the cold floor, the material unknown due to the thick red layer above it. The girl hoped desperately that it wasn't blood, which it most likely was. In front of her sat a girl on a huge throne.

The throne was a crimson red, with intricate curls and elaborate patterns imprinted on the golden parts of the chair. The girl looked seventeen years of age, and even if the throne was so huge, it fitted the girl.

She wore a long coat that stuck to her body, fitting perfectly onto her curves. The coat was connected at the neck, but gaping open under that. Under the coat, she wore a black leather shirt, connected with a tight, short skirt. On her arms there were two armored gloves. Edges of the clothing she wore were lined with gold.

She sat, one leg over another, her head supported by her knuckles on one of the armrests.

The servant was shaking, and she spotted even more things that scared her.

Swords, pickaxes, machetes, knifes, daggers littered the red floor - probably from previous knights that tried to kill the Lord.

A codex placed under the right elbow, completely black, giving off a satisfied air.

The Lord was beautiful, no doubt. It was just the sinister air about her that made everyone afraid. Her features were placed fairly, with dull, crimson eyes. Her skin was so pale, her hair a striking blood red. The Lord had a face anyone would fall in love with. All men and women would fall enchanted once they looked at her. Features that looked like they were carved by a professional sculptor out of perfect pale marble.

The expression of the Lord darkened.

"Guards, drag her out."

The servant cried out in reluctance, but two soldiers immediately emerged from the shadows.

One soldier grabbed each arm.

"Since you're one of my favorites, I guess I'll spare your life then. Toss her out of the castle walls and leave her."

"No! NO! PLEASE! I'M SORRY! HELP! NO!"

Rosabelle watched her being dragged into the shadows with no trace of emotion on her perfect face. She smirked, mocking the demise of her servant.

Words faintly pressed against her skull…

 _Waversorul in pletuo sanshues nada rayi masa redo moti tami tueto_

 _Nimesorul in pletuo sanshues nada rayi masa redo mueli tueto kuose_

 _Waversori to kuepetto Nye matudoru masan kwa mremesi_

 _Nimesori to kuemoi moduso aku mau berichi madusorukko...!_

 _Who was Iris? What is Firmament?_

 _Actually, I knew that, but denying it was much easier. Why don't I just forget it?_

 _The codex helps. I don't even feel the pain anymore. I can't feel pain anymore. That just makes me stronger in war._

 _The day would eventually come when I have to attack on Firmament, and that's fine! I wanna kill. Killing distracts me._

 _I use it. I use the codex like a drug. It takes control of my thoughts, so I can't think, can't feel…_

 _Do I miss Iris? No. That's what I love about the codex. I'm controlled by it. And I love it._

 _I long for blood. I long to see the life draining out of peoples' eyes. I can't feel…I can't feel…I can't feel._

She didn't remember anything ever since she fainted from touching the codex. She just remebered waking up sitting in this throne, having an entire population under her control; perfectly disciplined soldiers, responsible and obedient citizens, a huge palace built for her. Her thoughts were different as well - barely feeling any emotion, not able to feel pain...

Ever since then, she'd been attacking, raiding other places, taking control, killing off their population and gaining their wealth and land.

 _Thanks for reading! Review and comment down below. *u*_


	7. 7: Predawn

_Hey guys! Back with another one. Should I be starting a new story soon? This story is nearly reaching its peak, so just hang on!_

 _Predawn_

"Knight Iris. Something's arrived in your mail. It's…a letter."

The nun passed her a letter.

As Iris flipped it over, a bead of cold sweat trickled down the nape of her neck.

The letter shocked her physically, and she hated the sinister air that penetrated pure air of the church. The seal of the letter was a blood-red rose, very pretty. Along with the letter, a beautiful blooming rose was placed directly across the letter. Iris bit her lip, eyebrows creasing. Might be from a troubled townsmen, or a terrorist,

Iris flicked her pocket knife out, cutting the letter open instead of opening it, just in case there was a small trap.

Sure enough, a razor blade popped up as soon as the envelope was opened.

She opened the piece of parchment folded neatly in the letter.

 _My dear Iris,_

 _You might've thought I was dead, from the fire ten years ago. I'm not._

Rosabelle! Iris realized. Overwhelming joy flooded her heart for the first time in years. Iris collapsed, tears of joy flowing down her cheeks. Then she realized that something was wrong. Why would Rosabelle put a razor blade in the envelope. A bad feeling washed over her. She kept reading.

 _I'm completely different now, and I'm no longer the immature little girl you were once friends with -_

And from there, the pretty, cute letters ended in a big ink blot.

The pen must've broke here.

The handwriting changed - the short characters turned into elaborate cursive.

 _I despise you. Despise Firmament, despise you, Iris. I'll lead my army to where you're at and destroy Firmament. It's amazing, isn't it…that we were once friends. I don't know what you're like right now, and I don't really care. I'm no longer able to feel pain, unlike ten years ago. I used to hurt all the time after I ran away, and I blame you, Iris. I blame you, even if there is no reason for me to blame you._

 _That's why I'm going to kill you. That's why I'm going to destroy everything you love and have, so you can feel my pain._

 _Prepare for war, Iris. Warn your precious citizens that it's time for war. I'll find you and take control._

 _Everything I did - every kingdom I destroyed, everyone I killed - was to build up power to kill you._

 _I know what I'm saying is stupid and unreasonable, but you need to die._

 _Farewell, Iris. Goodbye._

 _Love, Rosabelle?_

Uncontrollable tears trickled down Iris's cheeks.

Her shaky hands cupped her mouth.

She hated how her emotions were toyed by this letter - first exulted, ecstatic, relieved, free, then confused, hurt, upset, lastly mad, horrified, shocked.

It really hurt for her. Iris clutched her stomach and sat down. Her emotional eyes turned numb once more, the light draining out.

Then she accepted it.

She didn't except it either. The hole torn in her chest immediately healed, and her face hardened. Eyes narrowing, she stood up. If Rosabelle wants it, Iris would give her it. Iris was sad, but knew that it was inevitable.

She'd also recently become a commander in the soldiers, so she had the entire army under her control.

Entering her study room, Iris pulled out an antique chair and sat herself down. From a nearby bookshelf, she pulled out a war map and a few chess pieces.

Iris began planning.

A chess piece with a rose, a chess piece with a cross…

Other chess plain, normal chess pieces.

"Most likely…hmm…according to the war book…yes, she will be here."

Chess pieces danced across the map, directed by Iris's hand. they danced a speedy waltz, and as Iris fluently and familiarly planned out war, the bright sun sank behind the horizon, dulling the worlds' light.

Iris lit a candle placed on a delicate candle holder. The candle smelt like roses, much to Iris's aggravation. She ignored it, placing the letter aside. Iris couldn't throw the rose away…it was a beautiful flower.

"Ah."

The war map showed every exact landmark of and around Firmament, and updates every few days. Iris spotted it, Rosabelle's castle. It was _massive._ A huge wall surrounded the castle, and within the walls was a town. There were borders around a huge mass of land, and in the middle marked the words that meant "Crimson Rose" in Firmamentese.

"Land of Crimson Rose, huh. Something Rosabelle would definitely name her land."

Iris smiled coldly, a trace of sadness buried deep beneath her eyes.

 _Thanks for reading! Please tell me if the quality is going down, since I'd been slightly rushing it. Sorry if it's bad._


	8. 8: The Fallen Bloom

_Hey guys! I didn't include the entire story of this song in Cytus because I wanted to spread the story evenly between this one and the next chapter. As always, enjoy!_

 _The Fallen Bloom_

Both were breathing heavily.

Both had severe wounds with fresh blood trickling out.

Both had a sword, one shining gold, one gleaming obsidian.

Sweat stuck their hair to their faces.

Rosabelle clenched her teeth together. In her right hand she clutched the glowing codex.

 _The codex grants me so much strength, but I've forgotten how much training Iris must've been through in ten years. She's a commander of a whole army of soldiers and a knight. It's tiring…really tiring._

 _Why do I want to kill her again?_

The chanting resumed in her head, and rage clouded all her rational thoughts.

Iris tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, eyebrows drawing together. She wore a metal shield over her back.

 _Why is Rosabelle so powerful? What happened to her? Why is she so full of rage? She's tiring me out…Is it the book she's clutching in her right? Our swords are chipped - her's are in a worst condition than mine…that's good. I don't think I have to kill her - I'll talk some sense to her._

 _I don't want to kill her._

Iris shut her eyes and steeled her heart. It might be necessary.

The two were circling each other, unaware of the raging battle surrounding them. They were in a world with only their duel.

Red clashed with blue, and dead bodies littered the floor.

Unable to contain the tension, Rosabelle charged at Iris, a feral snarl ripping out of her throat. Eyes flashing from yellow to green to a blood red, she raised her black sword.

Iris stands firm, face fierce, both hands clutching the sword. As Rosabelle neared, lips drawn back, Iris held up her sword, and blocked Rosabelle's sword.

The clanging between both swords sounded harsh, hurting bother their ears. Both swords didn't budge, and they stood there, unmoving, sweating, hurting.

Suddenly, Iris kneed Rosabelle's stomach, kicking backwards and slicing upwards. Rosabelle immediately recovered, jumping backwards, clutching her stomach. Iris advanced.

Once and once again, their blades crashed together in a deafening clang, and Iris could see the blades chipping.

Rosabelle was faltering, the tiredness getting to her.

Unlike Iris, Rosabelle spent her days resting, relaxing in her kingdom, while Iris spent every single minute training. The only reason Rosabelle was able to fight this way was because of the codex.

Iris's sword came dangerously close to Rosabelle's neck, drawing a few beads of blood. Rosabelle growled, and yelped in pain.

Iris faltered. Flashbacks of their childhood bound her arms. She couldn't do it - she couldn't kill her.

Rosabelle, on the other hand, took control of the situation, and chanted a spell from the codex. She raised her voice, until the chant drowned out everything else, the faint battling, the screams of dying soldiers.

Dark, tar-like fluid leaked from the tip of the sword like a thick rope, and entangled itself around Iris. From the shoulders to the thighs, Iris couldn't move at all. She felt squeezed, like her organs were about to pop out of her mouth. Iris scowled. Through her blurred vision, she could see Rosabelle's emotionless face.

Rosabelle could see Iris's struggling. Nothing in her changed, and she didn't feel anything… the codex urged her on, and as her grip tightened on the hilt of the sword and the codex, the black tar tightened around Iris. Rosabelle stalked towards her, and raised the sword. The tar parted where Iris's heart was.

Rosabelle could hear the codex talking…

 _Insert the point into her skin, and when you touch a rib, twist upwards. Keep going until you find her heart._

Iris could feel the blade pressing against her chest, drawing blood. Rosabelle prepared momentum, and noticed Iris's sword. It was gleaming a pure white, and it emanated light. Wherever the light touched, the tar disintegrated.

 _The sword. It's protecting me._

The light covered Iris's entire body, and she tilted her head upwards, closing her eyes.

Rosabelle was stunned.

 _She looks like an angel._

 _The sword! It's giving her power!_

As soon as she thought that, the codex trembled.

The codex was also giving her power.

Rosabelle yelled, and Iris cried out in a ferocious battle cry.

The two charged at each other, and as the sun rose, they became mere silhouettes…

 _I don't see a lot of fight scenes nowadays, so I had to reference some fight scenes from other places... leave a comment or a review! Thanks for reading._


	9. 9: Where You Are Not

_Well, this about wraps it up. It's the end. The end of this story. Huh. I tried making this climatic, but it might've come out anti-climatic._

 _Where You Are Not_

As the two silhouettes crossed, one sword penetrated the other's chest.

"Rosabelle…why?"

Rosabelle smiled weakly, tears trickling down her face.

As they clashed against each other earlier, Iris finally realized that Rosabelle really wanted to kill her. No previous memories endured in her. When Rosabelle almost delivered the killing blow when they charged at each other, Iris knew that she had to do so as well. Iris twisted herself out of the way and delivered a blow that Rosabelle could obviously dodge. Iris was aiming for the codex, not her. If she could destroy the codex, she could destroy Rosabelle's source of power, therefore ceasing this war…

But unexpectedly, Rosabelle positioned herself in front of the codex, and the sword sank savagely into her chest, and broke her ribs without any problems.

 _Crack._

Black blood spurted out of Rosabelle's chest, staining the clothing. The blood dripped off like a waterfall, forming a pool underneath. She looked like she expected it - her emotionless eyes falling into the peace of resolution. Her flashing eyes finally settled in a beautiful emerald-blue color, and she fell to her knees. Her eyes were heavily lidded, with a sad but satisfied smile hanging on her face.

"Iris…" she whispered. "I'm…sorry. Please…"

Iris could not comprehend what she was seeing. Tears uncalled for slid down her cheek. Her mouth gaped open and blood slid out of her mouth, caused by the shock.

From Rosabelle's mouth spewed a long string of blood, before wobbling.

"No! NO! _I will not lose another person dear to me!_ NO!" Iris cried.

Just before Rosabelle fell, Iris caught her, kneeling on the floor.

 _She's back. She's Rosabelle again. She's no longer the mind-controlled slave for the codex._

Cradled in Iris's arms, Rosabelle felt quite comfortable. Tears trickled out of her eyes and she reached up to cup her hand on Iris's cheek. Feeling Iris's freezing tears helped her pain.

Now that the codex was completely erased from her life, stored-up, mind-blowing pain whipped her heart, and she was glad that she was about to die.

"Iris…listen…I'm sorry. For causing so much trouble. For trying to kill you. And most of all…for breaking our promise. I couldn't control myself. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that you have to clean up the mess I made. I'm sorry for blaming it on you."

Iris's face contorted, and her eyebrows turned down towards her nose, frowning. She closed her eyes, clenching her teeth together. Iris looked so pained - so pained. So pained it hurt to look.

Rosabelle's eyes slowly closed.

"I can finally get my rest now. I realized…that this codex…was controlling me…Can you please…help this world find peace…to do what I've always wanted…me as the queen of Firmament, you my knight. I'll help the politics and you'll help with the safety. But…that's…never…going…to…happen…"

With that, another stream of blood trickled out of her mouth, and the hand placed on Iris's cheek drooped off. Her head rolled back, facing the sky. The life slowly drained out of her eyes. Her face was permanently frozen in a resolved smile now, and her eyes were opened halfway.

Iris couldn't speak. She killed Rosabelle. She killed Rosabelle, her childhood friend. She killed Rosabelle, and broke her promise. She killed Rosabelle, who was her best friend. She stabbed her. She stuck the sword in her chest. Thoughts whirled around her brain, threatening to hurt her.

 _It's fine…It's fine…She wanted this…_

Iris would just have to deal with it. Time probably can heal her wound.

Iris closed her eyes and put her hand to her face, biting her pinky. She could see the codex slowly disintegrating into the wind. The scent of blood and rotten flesh invaded her nostrils…

She picked up Rosabelle's obsidian sword and held it in her right hand.

Standing up and turning around, she saw the beautiful sky. Red, orange, white, black, purple, pink.

Near the sun, she could see the sky being brilliantly lit up by rainbow clouds, fading into pink and purple. In Iris's eyes, she could see the entire galaxy. Stars and the moon and the clouds and the sun, they collided. Like they were mourning for everyone's death. A few tired soldiers kneeled at the body of their dead comrades. How much people lived? How much people died? Dead bodies were stacked on top of each other, faces and bodies mutilated to the point that you couldn't recognize who they were.

What a stunning difference between the sky and the ground. A shocking collision - one side amazingly beautiful, one side deadly, filled with something no one would ever want to see. Iris breathed in, drying off her tears.

The lake was like a mirror - it reflected the complete sky.

Iris stood, facing the sun. The slight wind ruffled her hair, blowing strands across her face.

 _The end. Actually, no. There's a bonus chapter! Phew. This was pretty sad. I loved Chapter K, because I loved the story. If I interpreted anything wrong please tell me. Leave a comment or a review!_


	10. 10: Music The Eternity of Us

_So here is a very short chapter based on the last song in Chapter K. Sorry for the bad quality, but I really like the idea of an alternative ending. I recommend reading the other chapters first._

 _Music. The Eternity of Us_

"Hm. Don't you think it's better if this note is placed in a higher octave? Then it could come out more shocking!"

Rosabelle nodded.

"That's a very good idea!"

Rosabelle scribbled out the note and placed it eight lines and spaces higher.

"Let's try this."

Immediately, they started humming, a beautiful two-part symphony, two songbirds wildly flying through the forest, one in a lower tone than the other. One quieter, one louder. One calm, one frisky.

It was a beautiful melody.

Both girls had on a formal white shirt, one in a red skirt, one in a blue skirt. The sky was beautiful, in the middle of the day - where the sun was striking down. Both girls sat in the shade of a young tree.

The floor was littered with pages of music notes.

Rosabelle and Iris never became what they wanted to be - but their bond was so strong now, it would cause literal pain for one of them to die. If one of them died, the other might even die as well.

They decided to abandon everything else to become two music makers, and they were fine with that! It was definitely pretty sad giving up their obsessions, but this was a better, safer life than the one they would've had if they pursued their obsession.

The Red Coronation never happened.

Rosabelle never found the codex or became the Lord of Crimson Rose.

Iris never became a knight and never fought Rosabelle.

No one died in this alternate universe.

 _Well, well, well. There comes the end of this whole story! Phew. We did it, guys! If you went from chapter 1 all the way to here, thanks for reading! Please leave a review or a comment! It would be greatly appreciated._


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